Controversy erupts at WCIT over resolution on Internet
- 13 December, 2012 00:44
- Comments
The World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) apparently has placed a resolution on the Internet in the regulations being developed at the meeting, drawing accusations that it acted improperly.
At the close of the Wednesday sessions of WCIT, which continued into the night and concluded early Thursday morning in Dubai, the chairman of the conference apparently turned an informal process into a vote, according to the Internet Society.
Adopting a resolution on the Internet violated assurances that the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) being developed at WCIT wouldn't be about the Internet, said the non-governmental group, which advocates equal access to the Internet. It wasn't immediately clear what the resolution stated.
The U.S., the European Union and some other countries have opposed bringing the Internet under the ITRs, and this has been one of the key issues at WCIT. The treaty being developed at the meeting has to be signed by Friday.
"What was first termed as getting a 'temperature of the room' by the Chairman of the conference turned into an apparent 'vote' to include an Internet Resolution in the ITRs," The Internet Society said. That action "resulted in much confusion among the delegates," the group said.
The Internet Society expressed concern that language about competition, liberalization, free flow of information and independent regulation largely had been removed from the text of the treaty.
"Additionally, and contrary to assurances that this treaty is not about the Internet, the conference appears to have adopted, by majority, a resolution on the Internet," the Society said in a statement. "Amendments were apparently made to the text but were not published prior to agreement. This is clearly a disappointing development and we hope that tomorrow brings an opportunity for reconsideration of this approach."
Several commenters on Twitter also voiced concern about the decision-making process, some calling it a "vote/non-vote."
Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is stephen_lawson@idg.com
Recommended
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.
- Bookmark this page
- Share this article
- Got more on this story? Email CIO
- Follow CIO on twitter
-
Why change management doesn’t work
-
Larry Page wants to see your medical records
-
Dual-Persona Smartphones Not a BYOD Panacea
-
After two-year hiatus, EFF accepts bitcoin donations again
-
CIOs struggle to deliver timely mobile business apps: survey
-
Devising a Server Protection Strategy with Trend Micro
With so many Information Technology solutions available to choose from today, many organizations put their trust in the experience, insight and advice of Gartner, and their industry-leading analysts. Trend Micro’s portfolio of solutions meets and exceeds Gartner’s recommendations on how to devise a server protection strategy. Precisely how Trend Micro does it is detailed in this whitepaper. Read now. -
Advanced Malware Exposed
This handbook shines a light on the dark corners of advanced malware, both to educate as well as to spark renewed efforts against these stealthy and persistent threats. By understanding the tools being used by criminals, we can better defend our nations, our critical infrastructures and our citizens. This ebook will provide readers with a new understanding of the rapidly developing cyber threat landscape and practical insights into how they can protect their data and computing infrastructures. Download now. -
Implementing A Security Analytics Architecture
According to the 2012 Verizon Data Breach Investigations report, 99% of breaches led to data compromise within “days” or less, whereas 85% of breaches took “weeks” or more to discover. This presents a significant challenge to security teams as it grants attackers extended periods of time within a victim’s environment. More “free time” leads to more stolen data and more digital damage. Principally, this is because today’s security measures aren’t designed to counter today’s more advanced threats. Read on.
Get exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis. 
